Thank you very much for the opportunity to participate in this important study that you've undertaken.
I represent Sault Ste. Marie and the riding thereof, which is a border town. It's also a steel town. Studying Trump's tariff threat because of the border, I don't accept the premise that we're a problem, as I didn't accept that we were a problem with the section 232 tariffs.
I open up my windows when I wake up in the morning and I can see the United States. There weren't any gun turrets or barbed wire or protected....
Fast-forward to today, when I look at the investments we have made at our border just in Sault Ste. Marie.... We cross every day. I went to school in Michigan at Lake Superior State University. I crossed every single day and I saw how well the border functioned. With the sharing of information between America and Canada, when I go to the United States, they know what I potentially have done. I've done nothing, but it's that kind of sharing of information.
I remember one time when I was at Lake State, we had a Chevy Chevette full of my American friends and we pulled up to our border crossing. We were waiting in line and one of the Americans said, “Oh, man, wouldn't it be great if we were all just one big country?” I quickly said back to him, “Sure, it'd be great having one prime minister,” and then the ensuing discussion started.
That border crossing has totally changed. I recently cut the ribbon on a $51-million investment at the Sault border, which made the facility larger with bigger inspection rooms, more lanes and areas for the staff to work in.
My question, through you, Chair, to our fine friends here is, that's one example, but could you please share the examples of some of the investments in facilities?
I also toured afterward and saw the new equipment being put in there—the X-ray machines and the stuff that identifies the drugs so the officers can identify it right away—as well as the training that takes place.
Would you mind putting on record the investments that we've made to continue to work closely with the Americans and protect our borders?